Tara didn’t need to remind me of what I was lacking.
I had no wolf, I didn’t have a good education, and I certainly didn’t have a well-matched background or anything else to bring to a mating. Any pack, let alone a wealthy and powerful pack, wouldn’t have a reason for allowing me to mate into it.
Tara possessed both wisdom and beauty. Although she didn’t curse, she could pierce deep into a person’s inferiority-as she’d just done to me with only a few words.
My tone was flat as I responded. “Ms. Thorin, whether I want to marry into a wealthy pack or not is a different matter. Yes, you are my superior and the CEO of this company, but you can’t interfere in my private affairs, right?”
Tara didn’t expect me to dare to respond to her with anything other than subjugation. Her face darkened. “Of course, I don’t care. I’m just reminding you out of kindness. If you give up such a good job and go for it, don’t regret it and come back to Midwest Packs Corporation to cry.”
I didn’t say anything else. There was nothing to say. I’d gotten what I wanted. Part of me wanted to tell her there was no chance of me coming back to cry-seeing as I would be dead.
After Tara approved my resignation paperwork, I would find Lila to hand off my projects and leave as soon as possible.
Apparently, Tara had other plans. “Taya, I’ll approve your resignation, but not right now.”
I frowned, confused. “What do you mean?”
Tara sighed. “The Midwest Packs Corporation branch development in Wolverly Capital isn’t going as well as we’d hoped. The Sterling pack is powerful there and could help with getting things running smoothly. We need the Sterling pack to encourage the local packs there to cooperate with the proper procedures, but they have never given us any help. Now that you have Alpha Sterling’s attention, I hope you can stay.”
Once again, I was useful, ever the little human pawn.
Tara wouldn’t approve my resignation paperwork until I gave her what she wanted.
It was a pity that Tara had made such a mist.
I didn’t want to deal with Tara anymore. I was too tired.
Looking at Tara, I said indifferently, “Since you won’t officially approve of my resignation, forget it. I don’t want your salary and bonus from last month, and I’ll do without health insurance. Consider this my final notice.”
Health insurance was only part of the reason I had wanted to go through the normal resignation process. When I was at the end of my rope, the hiring personnel at Midwest Packs Corporation had chosen me, a human with no work experience, as an employee.
At that time, I’d sold myself for a large sum-enough to save Silas but not enough to cover the follow-up treatment expenses.
The Sterling pack hadn’t found him yet, so he was just a poor orphan like me. All of his medical expenses were paid for by Harper and me from our part-time jobs.
But it was far from enough. I looked for higher-paying jobs everywhere, but there was nothing. No one wanted to hire me. Until Midwest Packs Corporation had accepted me.
They had given me a stable job, and they had lent me the money I needed to cover Silas’s medical bills. I was forever thankful for them and grateful they’d taken a chance on me.
That was why I had been working here for five years. No matter which company tried to poach me, I had never been tempted.
But I had no loyalty to Tara, and I’d never expected her to be so difficult. And I certainly wasn’t going to allow her to use me the way she wanted to.
I took off my badge and placed it on Tara’s desk. Then, I turned around and walked away without looking back.
Tara cleared her throat.
“Taya, when you signed the loan agreement with MPC, you signed another agreement. It was clearly written that you must get the approval of the CEO in order to resign. Otherwise, you will have to pay six times the penalty fee.”
I stopped walking.
Five years ago, I was so desperate for the money, I signed the contract without putting much thought into it.
It had never ever occurred to me that I might want to quit one day.
I slowly turned around and looked at Tara, who was leaning against her chair.
She was bright and beautiful, which made me look homely.
I had never felt wronged before, but suddenly I felt very, very wronged.
It was as if I had been crushed under the feet of a victor. No matter how hard I struggled, it was useless.
Because I had no background or power. I had no pack to protect me, so I could be threatened, trampled on, and humiliated at will.
I gave up fighting against my fate and asked Tara numbly, “What do you want me to do to get my resignation?”
The penalty of six times the amount I borrowed was 1. 2 million -I had no choice but to compromise and do whatever it was Tara wanted.
Now that my hand had been forced and I’d been “put in my place”, Tara became even more arr ogant. “It’s simple. Take good care of Alpha Sterling. I’ll approve your resignation when he returns to Wolverly Capital.”
“Alpha Sterling might not want me to entertain him.”
Tara smiled. “I’ve seen that photo several times. Given how he’s looking at you, I’d say he definitely wants you to ‘entertain’ him.”
I was about to object, to tell her that he didn’t feel that way about me, but Tara’s face darkened and I clamped my mouths hut.
“Just do as I say,” Tara said in a low voice.
I’d never seen an inkling of her wolf before…but there it was. The message was loud and clear.
Tara had already decided that I had a close relationship with Jackson, and she was determined to squeeze every lost drop she could out of me before letting me go.
It was useless to say more, so I replied flatly, “I hope you won’t break your promise again.”
Tara crossed her arms over her chest and gave me a rea*suring look. “I’ve always kept my word.”
I couldn’t be bothered to argue with her.